Gym Affairs
by Ameyoke
Summary: When you see Pokemon gym leaders, you think they're all perfect. But they've got problems of their own! ...And lovers. Jasmine like Matsuba, Nagi likes Hayato, Ibuki likes Wataru... Listen to their love stories, and you'll find secrets you never knew.
1. Fragrance

**Hi! Some name notes!**

Matsuba is Morty

Akane is Whitney

Konatsu is Janina

Asuna is Flannery

**

* * *

**

Fragrance

"So you see, the ground type is weak to the ghost type. All right! That's all for today!" Matsuba waved his hand to his students, and they rose to bow.

"Thank you sensei!" they smiled and ran out, anxious to return home to their parents.

"Wait! Don't forget that next week we're having a guest gym leader come!"

"Yes!" the children called, and Matsuba decided to head home too. He had some time to kill before the guest gym leader came. He sat on a rock, and he let his Rotel spin around.

"Come to think of it, I don't even know who the guest is..." he put his hand to his neck and thought. Would it be Falkner? Maybe, they were best friends, after all. Bugsy? Akane? Nah, they wouldn't bother. Suddenly, he heard a large crushing of rocks coming towards him.

"Wh-What's that?!" he saw a long thing in the distance. It was a Steelix! And on it was none other than Jasmine, gym leader of Olivine City.

"Hi!" she smiled and hopped off, "Am I on time?" HE COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. Why did the Pokemon administration do this to him?! A dazzling, beautiful girl would be staying IN HIS HOUSE. He could handle Akane, she was immature, but Jasmine was like a MODEL!

"Wait... So, are you the gym leader visiting?"

"Can I not?" she looked at him with cute eyes.

"N-No, it's not that...!"

"Don't be embarassed just 'cause I'm a girl. I've been your friend for a while now, haven't I?" she giggled.

"Yeah... You're right, sorry."

"No, it's fine."

"It's good to see you again, Jasmine." he told her. He wanted to get to know her better. He hadn't seen his friend in years. Now was the perfect chance to talk with her again.

"Nee-chan! Wait for me!" a little girl hopped down the Steelix's back. It was Konatsu, Jasmine's little sister.

"Oh, sorry Konatsu. I'll introduce you." she picked up her 8-year old sister and hugged her.

"I'm Konatsu, Jasmine's sister. I'm the future Olivine gym leader."

"Nice to meet you-" he smiled, but she glared at him. She jumped down from her sister's arms and signaled for his ear.

"If you make a move on my sister, I swear I'll destroy you." she whispered. He knew she was serious.

"Haha, Jasmine and I aren't like that! We're childhood friends."

"Oh, really?" Jasmine smiled, "I thought we were more..."

"J-Jasmine!" Matsuba said in surprise, and Konatsu stomped on his foot. He held it in pain.

"Ow ow ow!!" he winced, and she smirked. What was he gonna do? He held Jasmine's bag as they went into his house, and he smelled a strong, flowery scent. It was perfume.

"You like it? Erica gave it to me." she smiled.

"U-Uh!" Man, did she have sharp eyes. The sun was already starting to set by the time Jasmine unpacked.

"Thanks so much, Matsuba." she sat on a cushion, "It was really tiring."

"Yeah, you brought a lot of equipment."

"Oh! I know! I'll make dinner, OK?" Jasmine hopped up and went to the kitchen.

"You sure?"

"I'm positive! Leave it to me!" she tied the apron around her neck. After about half an hour, it was smelling good all around the house.

"By the way," Matsuba asked her, "Where'd Konatsu go?"

"Oh, her? She only came here to make sure I was OK. Sometimes I wonder who's the gym leader." she chuckled and shook something into the pan, "Yay! It's done! Fried rice!" she shaped it into the face of a ghastly, "Let's eat!"

"Wow! Looks great! Thanks for the food!" he took a bite of the fragrant rice, "WOW!" his eyes shined and he ate more.

"Oh, I'm glad it's good. I've been practicing so I could cook for you." she blushed and shook her head when he looked at her oddly, "No, I mean, you're taking me in, so it's the least I can do."

"Thanks Jasmine. You're a great help."

"Do you think I'd be a good wife?" she smiled.

"Oh yeah, totally." the dense Matsuba agreed. She put on a pouty face.

"Do you... Remember when we were kids...?" she asked him shyly.

"Of course I do. My mom introduced me to you at a party."

_"Matsuba, this is the Olivine Iron Work's President's daughter, Jasmine." his blonde-haired mother with short hair introduced. A small girl with bright green eyes curtsied to him. She wore a beige dress with a 3/4 length white cardigan._

_"It's nice to meet you, Matsuba-kun." she smiled. He blushed a bit._

_"N-Nice to meet you, Jasmine." he bowed slightly. Those two played a lot together from then on. They went through happy times of playing together... And also through sad times._

_"Mama...!" a 12-year-old Jasmine cried. Her mother was the president, and also her last parent. She fell ill from the fumes at the factory, and then died shortly after._

_"Jasmine, cheer up," one of the workers patted her on the back, "At least from your mother's sacrifice, the health standards have been raised-"_

_"Don't say that!!" she screamed at him and ran off._

_"Jasmine!" Matsuba called after her, and he chased her to a playground where she hid under the jungle gym._

_"Mama...! Why did you leave me alone...?!" she cried. Matsuba sat down next to her and took out a handkerchief._

_"Here," he smiled, "You're prettier when you smile."_

_"I'm not pretty...! Mama's prettier...!" she sniffled._

_"That's not true. OK, your mom was pretty, but you're different in your own way." he patted the tears away from her face, "You told me before, you wanted to be different from your mom. You didn't want to take over the company."_

_"Mm." she nodded, "I want to become the gym leader."_

_"Really?!" he asked excitedly, "Me too!"_

_"Seriously?!" she started to laugh._

_"Good, you're smiling." he pet her on the head._

_"Hey... Will you make a promise?" she asked._

_"Yeah. What?"_

_"Since we're both gonna be gym leaders..." Jasmine blushed, "Can I... Be your bride...?!"_

_"B-Bride...?!" he turned as red as a tomato. She nodded hesitantly. He scratched his head and thought to himself._

_"All right. When we're 18, and if you beat me in a pokemon battle, then I'll marry you."_

_"Really?!" she smiled._

_"Mm."_

"Do you still remember... That promise...?" she asked him.

"Eh...?" he said in surprise.

"In the match between you and me at your school... If I win-!" she confessed, but the door slammed open, and a red-haired girl walked in.

"Yo! I'm here!" Asuna called, "I'm the guest gym leader!" she smiled, but then saw Jasmine sitting at the table with him, "What... Are you doing here Jasmine?" she asked. Jasmine looked down to the ground. She knew. She had been caught.

"Wait, Jasmine, what does this mean...?" he asked. She jumped up from the table and went outside.

"Jasmine!" he called and ran after her. Asuna just watched him leave.

"I'm... Sorry..." she cried, "Asuna has... A crush on you, and I was scared...!" she placed her hands on a tree.

"Scared... About what...?"

"Don't you remember our promise?!" she yelled at him with tears in her eyes.

"...Yeah." he told her without looking.

"Then don't you understand how I feel...?" she whispered.

"...We'll have our battle tomorrow. If you win..." he lifted up his face, "Then, I'll tell you how I feel."

"Matsuba...!" she started to smile.

"You really are prettier when you smile." he told her, and she blushed, "You can stay here for the night."

"...Thank you, Matsuba..." she closed her eyes and smiled.

The next day, Matsuba got the arena ready right away. All the students were eagerly awaiting the battle, not even knowing what was REALLY at stake.

"I'll judge, OK?" asuna told him softly.

"...Right. Thanks, Asuna."

"In the left corner!" the red hot head yelled, "We have the Ecruteak gym leader, Matsuba!!" all the students cheered for him, "And in the right corner, we have the Olivine City gym leader, Jasmine!!" and everyone cheered just as much for her, to Asuna's surprise.

"Ready... Begin!" she flipped up the flag.

"Go! Magneton!" she threw her Pokeball out, and the giant clump of magnets came out, zapping up a storm.

"I choose you! Gengar!" and so Gengar was summoned, who cackled like a hyena.

"All right, Magneton! Thunder!" she pointed, and Magneton went super fast and tried to zap the ghost, who barely dodged it.

"Something's different..." Asuna thought to herself, "Jasmine's much more violent than usual." The two pokemon kept it up, matching each other's moves, getting hit, then hitting. At the end of about five minutes, both were worn out. Jasmine gritted her teeth. She was determined beyond need. She HAD to win. She HAD to beat him and hear his feelings, even if they were bad.

"Let's finish this, shall we?" she panted, sweat dipping from her temple.

"You got it." he smirked, and they nodded.

"Magneton, thunder ball!"

"Shadow ball!" the two colors of energy collided, and then pokemon tried to keep it up, but the balls exploded! It would have been a draw, but...

"Gengar! Go underground!" So the ghost slipped under the field, and Magneton took all the force of the energy. It slammed to the field, and knocked out.

"This battle is over! The winner is Matsuba!" Asuna lifted the flag, quite happy by the outcome. Jasmine tried to hold it in, but salty water slipped down her cheeks.

"Jasmine!" he chased after her again.

"Wait, Matsuba!" Asuna called. But he always had eyes for Jasmine. She knew that.

"I lost...! I'm not good enough to be your bride...!" she held her face in her hands and sobbed.

"Wait, so I won, right? Then I get to choose." he told her, "I've... I've been in love with you for a long time...!" he confessed, and she swirled around to look at his blushing face, "I mean, we don't have to get married right away..." he scratched his head, "But someday, when we're ready..." he came to her, and she leaned upon a tree.

"So... I'll be kind of like your long term fiancee?" she giggled. He nodded, "How do I know you're telling the truth...?" she whispered, and he put his face close to hers.

"Try this." he pushed his lips softly to hers, and she was in heaven. She felt the warmth of his skin, the beat of his heart... It was so dazzling.

"Then..." she smiled, "Let's be boyfriend and girlfriend until we're ready." she kissed him on the lips gently again, and he smiled.

"Yeah." he hugged her lovingly, "Let's."

"Do you like my perfume?" she put his face to her neck.

"Jasmine. Just like you."

"Right." she put her arms upon his chest, "But you know, a Jasmine can't truly bloom without someone to smell them."

"It's good that I'm here, then, right?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm really thankful."

_**END OF FRAGRANCE**_


	2. Silver Shards

**Name Notes!**

Hayato is Falkner

Nagi is Winona

Asuna is Flannery

* * *

**Silver Shards**

Hayato sat at the Olivine Dock to meet the girl who was coming from Hoenn. Nagi was supposed to be a bird user, so he was interested. They had met at the Hoenn Pokemon Finals, and talked quite a bit. She was a pretty tough girl, she had no interest in boys, and Hayato was the first one she ever actually took the interest in talking to. Her father, a man of high standing, had asked Hayato to watch after for a little while, which was a bit strange, considering she was already 18. It was supposed to be about ten minutes till the boat came in, but he heard a strong flapping sound from above. He spun his head to the sky to see a giant Skarmory come down next to him.

"Yo!" she saluted with her fingers. Nagi had RODE her Skarmory all the way to the Johto region!

"Geez, I expected you to come on the boat, but this is cool too." he smiled to her. She laughed really cutely, and Hayato blushed.

"Sh-She's really cute when she smiles..." he thought to himself.

"It's good to see you!!" she glomped him. His face went as hot as burning metal.

"Wh-Whoa!" he laughed nervously and let her off. She kept smiling at him, like he was the only thing she could see.

"Why don't we head back to my house?" he suggested, and she nodded.

"All right!" Nagi clamped his arm around hers.

"Wh-Whoa man, chill man, chill..." Hayato had to keep his cool. Her father was counting on him, and trusted Hayato not to make any perverted moves on his daughter.

"Think they're dating?" asked one person on the street to their friend.

"They're a great couple!" another speculated. Hayato thought he would die of embarassment.

Once they got back to his house after a long drive to Violet City, the small white house on a quiet road, Nagi sat down in the back yard.

"It's beautiful out here!" she smiled. It's true, it was beautiful. The reason Hayato bought a house in that area was to have that back yard of a big forest. He loved to be near the bird pokemon, and this made it easy. Nagi smiled as a Natu flew through the air. She started to sing a heart-wrenching melody...

**_Who has seen the wind?_**

**_That flows through the sky?_**

**_Neither I nor you_**

**_But when the leaves_**

**_Hang trembling in the trees_**

**_The wind is passing thro'._**

"What's that song?" Hayato asked her. She looked up to him and saw his beautiful hair flowing in the wind. She was thrown off for a moment. Who was she looking at this entire time...? She shook it off and smiled.

"A song my brother taught me. "Who has seen the Wind"."

"It's very pretty."

"Isn't it?"

"Oh, the song too, but... Your voice... Is dazzling..." he put his hand over the bottom of his face, trying to conceal his blush.

"Thanks..." she looked down into the small pond that was a few feet from her body. Suddenly, she jumped up and smiled, "Whatcha wanna do next?!" she laughed.

"Let's go inside. We'll talk for a little bit. The wind is making it a bit chilly out here." he started walking towards the house.

"Oh? I'm not cold at all." she informed him.

"Well duh, that's 'cause you have on all that flight gear." he chuckled, "Go get changed. I'll wait for you in the living room."

"OK." she nodded and ran inside to unpack her bags and change. He smiled, happy that she was. Nagi was a really spunky girl, different from the rumors.

_"I'm just warning you," Asuna told him over the phone before Nagi came, "She's a bit... Gloomy. She's very serious, and doesn't smile much."_

_"Why's that?" Hayato asked her._

_"Well..." she sighed, "She has her reasons."_

"What... Are those reasons...?" hewondered to himself as he walked back inside. There, he found a sparkling cute girl. Nagi was in a blue sun dress, but she still had her flying cap on.

"You..." he turned bright red again, "Look really cute..."

"Really?!" she smiled and hugged him.

"Whoa...!" his stomach tied up into a knot. Sure, Hayato had a lot of female fans, but this was his first time being so close a to girl that wasn't his mom! He let her hug him, and then she seperated, "Why don't you take off your helmet inside?" he chuckled and was about to take it off her head, but she pulled away from him as fast as she could and held it on.

"S-Sorry..." she blushed, "This is... Really important to me."

"Ah... OK..." he said in shock. But then he realized. He could ask her all those questions he had in his mind now! She had obviously been pretending to be cheery only around him, and he wanted to know the reason, "Why is it important to you?"

"Well..." she trailed off, and just... Stopped talking.

"And you don't usually act like this, do you? You usually don't smile, and you're very serious." he confirmed.

"Th-That is..." she put her fingers together. She wasn't going to tell him ANYTHING. He had to try and lie his way.

"I know everything, Nagi. Asuna told me." Wow, Hayato was a great actor!

"Asuna did...?!" she jumped back.

"Yup."

"She told you... About my brother...?"

"Y-Yeah..." OK, she hadn't, but hey, if he got caught now, she'd be PISSED.

"I-I just think... You look and act so much like my big brother...!" she cried, "Three years ago, I met you at the Hoenn finals. I was comfortable talking to you because you're so much like him...!" she let the tears drip down her cheeks, "But a year after that... He died...!" Nagi tried to hold in her true sobs, but she couldn't. She ran over to him and hugged Hayato tight, like she would never let go, "Kazuya... He... Wanted to make traveling on bird pokemon easier on the bird." she sniffled, "And during one of his experiments...!" she held her face on his shirt, "I gave him... A silver wing I made myself when I was a little kid. When he he was taken to the hospital, laying on his shirt was the silver wing. I tried to pick it up, and it... Shattered into silver shards...!" she cried. He stroked her hair.

"Is... That all you think of me...?" he pulled her away, "Do you only see me for a shadow of someone who's already gone..." he whispered in anger, "I was so happy that you came here! But... You don't even see me for me..."

"Hayato-kun..."

"I'm gonna go take a walk..." Hayato told her, "I'll be back later..." he exited his house and went into the forest.

"What... Have I done...?" Nagi cried. She needed to think. Sure, he did look like her brother... But that wasn't all! She remembered the way he smiled at her and the wind flowed behind his face. She felt so different... Of course! She realized it now...

"I... I'm in love... With Hayato..." Nagi blushed. She knew she had to tell him! She jumped outside and ran through the dense forest.

"Hayato!!" she called his name, but no answer, "Haya-!" she gasped, and a rock crumbled under her foot.

"Nagi!!" he grabbed her hand right before she fell and pulled his arms around her. They fell to the ground below, and Nagi landed on top of him.

"Hayato! Hayato!!" she cried, but his eyes remained closed. Her eyes welled up with tears, "It's all my fault...! I just thought of you as a replacement...!" she cried, and then realized something. She put her hand underneath the neck of her dress and pulled out a small bottle necklace, with silver shards, "I'm really in love with you Hayato! And I'll prove it to you!" she popped the small cork off the bottle and released the cheap silver shards from the silver wing she made into the wind, "I really..." she sobbed, "I REALLY love you." She thought she was alone, but he raised his hand to hers.

"Nagi... Me too." he said weakly.

"Hayato...!" she smiled brightly. He raised his back up, even with Nagi still on him, "Hayato, stay still! You're hurt!" But he kept going and looked straight into her eyes.

"Nagi..." he asked her cooly, "Will you take off your helmet for me...?" Nagi just looked at him, and then smiled.

"Yeah." she nodded. She placed her hands on the leather helmet and goggles. Nagi lifted the burden that had been on her for a long time. Her beautiful long, silver hair flew in the wind. They closed their eyes and moved their faces blindly forward, but they felt their lips reach each other. They both smiled to each other.

"Do you... Want me to get off you...?" Nagi asked him. After all, she was STILL on top of him.

"Nah, it's fine." he layed his back on the grass. Nonetheless, she hopped off and snuggled next to him on the fragrant forest floor, "By they way... Why don't we make something too?"

"Like what? A new silver wing?"

"No, how about..." he turned over to look at her, "How about a bottle of silver shards of each of us?"

"OK!" she smiled, "Let's make it together."

"Totally." he reached his face towards hers again to kiss her. Through the wind, the powder from her brother's necklace went to the sea.

"Hey, Hayato?" Nagi came closer to him.

"What...?" he whispered.

"I'm... Really glad I met you..." she closed her eyes and started to fall asleep.

"Me too..." and they fell into their happy slumber together, feeling the breeze on their faces.

_**END OF SILVER SHARDS**_


	3. You Dummy!

**Name Notes!**

Wataru is Lance

Ibuki is Clair

* * *

**You Dummy!**

"Excuse me? Have you seen Wataru? The Elite Four leader?" Ibuki of Blackthorn City asked the nurse Joy of her town.

"Oh, no, not recently..." she told her, "What's wrong?"

"Looks like he forgot..." Ibuki sighed.

"Ibuki-san...?"

"Nothing. I'll go ask someone else." she waved and left the building. AGAIN, she thought. AGAIN! He had the NERVE to forget about his former teacher-- and cousin-- on his birthday! She looked sadly to the ground. He never visited anymore. He never showed her that dazzling smile. She would be able to confess her feelings SO easily, but he was SOOO dense!

"Wataru-sensei, how's this?" a girl of about sixteen asked. Ibuki swung her head around to see her cousin, Wataru with a girl!

"Yeah, just make sure that you're on the correct position, or else-"

"Ah!" she screamed as she fell from the dragonair.

"Keiko!" he called and scooped her up in his arms. Ibuki's body went limp. She felt her heart squeezing the life out of her. Keiko looked at him with longing looks, and he smiled.

"Good. I'm glad you're OK." It was like one of those moments in a Shojo manga. Sparkles surrounded the two, and then a dark aura came from Ibuki.

"Oh, hi Ibuki!" Wataru called to her. She shook it off and smiled.

"Hi! And who might this be?" she was acting WAY too cheery, and he could tell.

"Y-You all right, Ibuki...?" he felt disgusted.

"I'm K-Keiko... I want to get better at raising dragon pokemon..." she blushed.

"Can you guys stay right there? I need to grab a harness."

"Wataru!" she called after him, but dense as usual, he didn't notice.

"Um... Ibuki-san..."

"Yes?"

"I hear you're Wataru's cousin... Would you mind, um, helping me?"

"With what?" she asked.

"I... Want to confess my love to him!" she let it out. Ibuki gasped, but thought about it. All she wanted was for Wataru to be happy. If that was possible, then everything was fine. And he looked really happy with her.

"All right." she gave in.

"Sorry guys! Here-!" but when he got back, they were both gone. He just stood there alone as a tumbleweed went by.

"OK, Keiko. First we'll do some tests. What do you know about Wataru?" Ibuki asked her back at her house.

"Well, he's kind, handsome, strong, isn't afraid of anything..." Keiko blushed.

"WAHAHAHAAHAHA!!" Ibuki laughed insanely, "HIM?! Not afraid of ANYTHING?!" she laughed.

"Wh-What's so funny about that?!"

"When we were kids and he studied under me, the reason I, Ibuki Ryuzaki, his cousin of same age had to teach him about dragon pokemon was because he was scared of EVERYTHING, hun." she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes.

"R-Really...?"

"Yeah, like when we were training one time..."

_"Hey, how much longer...?" Wataru held onto Ibuki's shirt._

_"Quiet down!" she scolded him as they walked through the dragon's den, "We're here to get you a dratini."_

_"W-Why...?!" he asked._

_"'Cause you need one." she pointed over in the water, "Stay quiet."_

_"R-Right."_

_"Ready... Set..." Ibuki smirked, "JUMP!!" she pushed him into the water, and he screamed._

_"I-Ibuki!!" he cried._

_"SWIM, YOU IDIOT!!" she yelled._

_"I-I can't...!!"_

_"For God's sakes!!" she scolded and made a perfect dive into the water, "You're a BOY! You should be able to swim by now!!" she held him with her arms._

_"I-I know... I'm... Scared..." he said sadly. She smiled and patted him on the head._

_"Wataru..." she pointed towards a dratini, "I'll keep on paddling my feet under you. You just try and coax it to be your pokemon."_

_"O-OK..." he agreed, "Dr-Dratini, please, be my Pokemon!" he begged, but the little sea serpant shook it's head._

_"Please! Ibuki is counting on me! I want to be strong like her!"_

_"Wataru..." she awed. But suddenly, something tugged at her leg, "Kya!!" she screamed._

_"Ibuki!!" he called for her, and she was just barely holding him up. At her last moment, she threw her Pokeball up to the surface. Her dratini knew what to do. The little dragon lifted the same way Ibuki was before._

_"Ibuki!!" he resisted the dratini and jumped into the water. He dog paddled as fast as he could to the bottom where Ibuki was knocked out. It was some stray rope that had grabbed her leg. With great haste, he undid the twines and pulled her back up._

_"Ibuki!!" Wataru cried to her at the surface. He looked quickly around for the dratini he wanted. It left. But it was fine, because his friendship with Ibuki was more important, "Please...!" he cried, "Please wake up...!" he put his head on her chest._

_"Why're you crying, Wataru...?" Ibuki coughed up some water._

_"Ibuki!!" he cried and hugged her tight._

_"Oi, oi, calm down, I'm fine!" she laughed, and then saw something, "More importantly, someone's waiting for you." Ibuki pointed to a little stray dratini in the middle of the lake._

_"Why... Did he come back...?"_

_"He was impressed. Even though you can't swim, you saved my life." she leaned over and kissed his cheek, "You're a hero." his face went as red as if he were in an oven, "Want me to swim you out?"_

_"No, you're too tired! I'll go." he told her and jumped in. To her surprise, he paddled in the water perfectly fine, "Dratini," he smiled, "Let's be friends." the dratini nodded, and Wataru slipped the Pokeball out of his pocket, "Let's go." he clicked the button on the ball, and the red light sucked in the little dragon._

_"You did it!!" Ibuki cried in joy and hugged him tight._

"Isn't that... Brave...?" Keiko asked her.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, THAT. But I could do anything better than Wataru. Training, cooking, swimming..." she giggled evilly, "But there's one thing that Wataru's REALLY afraid of. It's-!"

"THAT'S QUITE ENOUGH, IBUKI." Wataru put his hand on his cousin's shoulder.

"Aw, I was just telling stories about how cute you were."

"Like HELL you were!" he yelled at her.

"My my, aren't we violent? But you're sure not violent when a pokemon uses DRAGON BREATH!" she laughed.

"That's because you were a big BULLY to me as a child!!" he retaliated, "You got your dratini to use it on me!!"

"But it was so funny!! The smell didn't come out for weeks!!" she held her stomach in laughter.

"You're a total SADIST."

"Aw, I wasn't THAT bad..." she chuckled.

"You were a DEVIL!!" he scolded, "Every day it was something new... Making me your servant, almost getting me killed on mountain excursions..."

"But it made you a stronger person, didn't it?"

"Oh... I guess so. So... All that bullying was actually training?" he asked, believing her.

"Nope! You were fun to tease!" she told him dead blank, and he fell over in the loss of his expectations.

"I bet you don't even know what today is... I was gonna come visit you right after Keiko's lesson to remind you-"

"Hey, Wataru!" Ibuki smiled, "Happy birthday!" Wataru blushed a little bit at her genuine smile, but turned his face away.

"Y-Yeah right. You're just saying that so you have dibs on my cake if I get one." Ibuki just looked at him hurt, heart broken even.

"O-Oh... Sure..." she sighed. Keiko walked up to him next.

"I-I..." SHE WAS GOING FOR IT?! "I, for a long time, I've... Been in love with you!" she yelled, and he looked surprised, "A-And... Happy Birthday..." she blushed. Wataru started laughing REALLY hard. Harder than Ibuki had seen him do in a long time.

"Thanks, Keiko." he hugged her softly. Ibuki's heart shattered into pieces as she watched him hug her.

"Don't touch her...!" she whispered in fury.

"Ibuki...?" Wataru looked at her.

"Stupid Wataru!!" she yelled at him with tears in her eyes.

"Ibuki-san...?!" Keiko started to run after her, when Wataru stopped her.

"Keiko..." he looked at her with serious eyes, "About your confession..."

Ibuki ran to the most lonely place she could think of. Dragon's Cove. She remembered a time she was teasing Wataru, but also training him.

_"I-Ibuki..." Wataru stuttered, "Thi-This is..." his face was pink with blush. In front of him he held a red stainless steel box._

_"Hey," she told him, "Give that to me for a sec." He nodded happily and handed it over, only to be THROWN INTO THE LAKE!!_

_"WH-WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" he screamed._

_"Someday, when your dragon pokemon and you bond better, you'll be able connect minds and that makes it so you can breathe underwater. You'll be able to go get that box. I know you will." she grinned and patted him on the head, but he just kept crying, "Wh-What's the matter?"_

_"Ibuki, you dummy!" he yelled at her for the first time._

She always wondered why he was angry. Usually, he would have agreed with her. It was for his own good!

"I'm gonna go find it..." she told her dragonair as they found the tree she threw it from. The female dragonair nodded, and they both closed their eyes.

"Bond!" Ibuki called, and a glow surrounded her. It was a glow of their friendship. Now she could dive down to the furthest deeps without any problem. The goddess of a gym leader removed her dress and cape, and all the rest of her clothes. All that was left was a dark blue bikini swimsuit. Since she worked with dragon pokemon a lot, and many of them went in the water, she always had to be ready. She made another perfect dive into the pure water, and her dragonair followed.

"It was around here..." Ibuki picked through the rubble far under the water. She could even talk underwater due to her bond with her pokemon. Suddenly, she saw a small red sparkle, "There it is!" she smiled and swam over to it, only to have it taken away by a GYARADOS!! "Gyarados, please give it back!!" the girl pleaded, but was pushed back by the waves made by the tail of the dragon. It growled at her immensely, angry that this woman was trying to take away it's treasure. With one paddle of her foot, it viciously swam to her and tried to headbutt her into the rock, "Gyrados, calm down, please!!" But it didn't heed her words. It turned quickly around and succeeded in bashing her into a rock. A spurt of blood came from

Ibuki's mouth. She knew there was only one thing she could do, and she really didn't want to do it.

"Dragonair..." she called weakly, "Get Wataru...!!" and Ibuki jumped off the rock to try and avoid the next attack, "Please, HURRY!!" she screamed. She knew she couldn't handle this on her own anymore. The dragonair nodded and flew to the surface. It hovered as fast as it could back to Ibuki's house, where Wataru was just coming out with Keiko.

"Ibuki's Dragonair? What's up?" he asked, but there was no time for questions! She looked at him with scared eyes and nudged him fiercely towards the Dragon's Cove.

"What happened to Ibuki?!" Wataru sort of knew what it was. She had gotten herself into trouble. AGAIN.

Back at the Dragon's Cove, Ibuki was really tired from dodging. Blood flowed from her mouth and arm, making a red stream through the water.

"I'm finished...!!" she closed her eyes.

"Ibuki!!" Wataru yelled to her. A dragonite did a mega punch to the gyarados's face, and Ibuki saw a scale fall from Dragonite's skin.

"Wait!" she called. Ibuki picked up the shiny, thick scale and went over to the Gyrados laying on the ground, tired from charging, "Here, I'll let you have this for that, OK?" she smiled softly. The gyarados looked very guilty for hurting her. He sniffed gently at a Pokeball, "Oh, you want this?" she laughed and took it out, "You can have it." It shook it's head and looked Ibuki in the eyes, "Wait... Do you want... To be my pokemon?" It nodded, and she giggled, "All right. Let's go with each other, Gyarados." she smiled and clicked the button on the ball, and with the red flash of light, it went inside.

"Ibuki...!!" Wataru hugged her tight in the water. She was so happy. He had come to rescue her!

"Here!" she picked the red box off the ocean floor, "I got it back for you! Happy birthday!" she smiled, and he put his palm to his face, "...Wataru...?"

"Let's go back to the surface..." he told her, and they paddled back. On the grassy land, she sat down and wrapped her scarf on her shoulder to hold back the blood. She slipped back on her dress and cardigan, and kicked on her boots.

"So, why do you look so distraught?" she asked. His face boiled with fury.

"You IDIOT!! What do you think I want for my birthday?! Not you getting killed, that's what!!"

"What the hell?! I go all this way to make you happy, and you give me THIS crap?!"

"That was a present for YOU, Ibuki!!" he yelled at her.

"Wait... What?" she looked at Wataru with blank eyes.

"That was a present I was going to give you, but you decided to throw it in the water!"

"Oh..." she whispered, "So THAT'S why you were mad..."

"Why can't you be more reserved, like Keiko?" he sighed and put back on his cape.

"Keiko...?!" she asked in fury. He didn't like Ibuki, she knew that. But it was so painful... She grabbed his shirt and pulled his face close. Ibuki had forced his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. She threw him down after to the ground.

"Wh-What...?!"

"I'm in love with you, you dummy!!" she yelled at him and ran outside. Wataru just sat there in shock.

When she arrived home, she sat down on her bed and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful thing. A hair barrette with a star on it. Ibuki took out her hair brush and went through that hairstyle of hers. She used some styling products, and combed it out again.

"Ibuki... You there...?" Wataru knocked at her house. She opened the door, and there was someone beautiful. It was Ibuki, her hair down and long, it went to the middle of her back. And in the back, holding away her bangs was the barrette he got her. She wore a new black dress.

"How... Do I look...?" she asked. He blushed really hard.

"Amazing... I see you found my present."

"Yeah... Thanks." she blushed the same as him.

"I'm sorry... I lost my temper... I just was so scared that I'd lost you...!" he hugged her tight.

"What about Keiko...?" she asked and hugged him back. He held on tighter.

"I... Turned her down. Ever since I was a little kid," he looked at her, "I've been in love with you!" he kissed her on the lips.

"Wataru..." Ibuki gasped. She looked deep into his crimson eyes and kissed him again, "Mm..." she breathed.

"So... Is it OK for me to be by your side?"

"You dummy. I just want to be with you."

And so Wataru and Ibuki made a bond of their own. A bond of love.

**END OF YOU DUMMY**


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